ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. net — after costs
  3. last — to go on
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. last — final
  6. bound — certain
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — obliged
  15. last — finally
  16. net — for catching
  17. firm — a company
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bound — tied together
  20. net — in sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com